For those of you who read my blog regularly, I bet you're wondering WHY I am using Edvard Munch's painting, "The Scream" once again (I used it back in May). It has been one of those days - no weeks - no actually almost a month of lots of personal family stress. I truly felt at times yesterday and today as if I were losing it! Losing what? Well, losing myself and feeling as if I could not cope.
I felt frazzled, upset, and totally depleted. Enervated to the core. For a few hours I forgot that I have incredible tools at my disposal! Meditation and yoga. How grateful I am that my mother invested in a Transcendental Meditation (TM) class for me when I was a high school senior. It really does come to the rescue. I avoid any type of prescription drug or medication if I possibly can and I haven't even taken a Tylenol for at least 7 years. So, I never even consider popping chemicals of any kind to alleviate my stress. No, I use only natural aids.
Feeling incredibly stressed this afternoon, I realized that I could do a full twenty minutes of TM. preceded of course by some alternate nostril yoga breaths. Doing any type of yoga breathing before meditation is like a "warm down" for stilling the body to prepare for meditation. When I am quite tired and stressed, I meditate lying down. I don't care that tradition says to meditate sitting upright in a half-lotus or lotus pose! I find that I can totally relax while lying down because I don't have to hold up my body in any way. And, no, I don't usually fall asleep. Today I lay flat out in the Savasana (sponge/relaxation pose) and felt my body sink into my mattress.
When I first lay down on my bed, the tension in my body was so palpable! I felt absolutely wired! About 8 or so minutes later, however, the tension began melting away. By the time I finished 20 minutes of TM, I felt so relaxed! And so grateful. Is it easy to quiet your mind under stress? Not if you don't have the right techniques. But, if you know yoga breathing and how to meditate, your have incredible power tools right at your disposal.
Yours for quieting your mind the natural and health way -with yoga breathing and meditation,